ABT CUPRA returned to Formula E in 2023 after a one-year break as a customer team of Mahindra Racing. On both Friday and Saturday, ABT CUPRA was the fastest car of the Indian manufacturer in qualifying in Riyadh.
After the season opener in Mexico City and two races against the historic backdrop of Diriyah, Formula E will take a short break before returning with a real highlight on March 16: Lucas di Grassi’s home race in São Paulo, Brazil.
Thomas Biermaier, ABT CEO and Team Principal: “This was a tough weekend for all four Mahindra cars – we clearly saw that we were lacking in performance compared to the competition. We now have a few weeks to analyze all the data from the first three events and prepare for the next race in the best possible way. It will be a special weekend because it’s Lucas’ (di Grassi) home race – it’s clear that we want to be stronger there than before.”
Lucas di Grassi, #11 (Qualifying P17/P20, Race P19/P17): “Throughout the weekend we did everything we could to catch up with the midfield, which we did in some sessions. In qualifying on Saturday, we were unlucky with a red flag that wiped out my fastest lap. We used an aggressive strategy to try and move up the field and were up to 15th at one point. Now we have a lot of work to do and will do everything we can to come back stronger.”
Nico Müller, #51 (Qualifying P16/P16, Race P18/P13): “Today was the first clean race of the new season. We made the most of our opportunities on this special track and even had some real overtakings. Of course, this is nothing to celebrate, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.”